Free grammar lessons!

[tha Guardians]

I would also like to hear about sentences starting with Because, and However.

I need to stress greatly the importance of the semicolon and the hyphen/double hyphen, but I hope it shall be in the next update, and I recently came across where someone posted

"...today's..." in the possesive form. Now, wouldn't this be saying 'today is' and not 'belonging to today', or 'of today' as the word 'it's' is suggesting 'it is' and not 'belonging to it'? Hope you're still with me...

Well, as lazy as I am, I would like to see an update in your list and I guess I'll get on that *complains and coughs*

I have the flu ='(

...and to your above statement, the (double quotes lol, are they allowed?)
""at symbol"" (@) can also be used to express two teams in a sports league playing at a certain field.

E.g. LHS@BHS or Sparkman@Grissom.

Ha.

...and in continuation of my severe ignorance, low self-esteem, and emmaculate retardation, I shall also point out that [ and ] may also be used to insert translation or full value of a meaning inside of a quote.

E.g. "Let any one who doubts this [abortion of slavery] comtemplate that now almost complete legal combination -- piece of machinery, so to speak -- compounded of the Nebraska doctrine, and the Dred Scott decision."

-Abraham Lincoln

[usaf2007]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

Enjoy: http://www.englishchick.com/grammar/

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I would also like to hear about sentences starting with Because, and However.

It's fine. That's an archaic rule that even I'm willing to abandon.

I need to stress greatly the importance of the semicolon and the hyphen/double hyphen, but I hope it shall be in the next update

The semicolon, in its most used form, simply joins two independent clauses. "I went to the park with Kevin. We had fun." sounds choppy, so they can be joined by a semicolon to make the sentence flow better: "I went to the park with Kevin; we had fun." Since it's still grammatical to separate the two with a period, the semicolon also typically joins two short sentences that are of the same thought. In the above example, the having fun was done at the park. "It's midnight. I like pie." probably shouldn't use a semicolon since the second thought is a non sequitur, despite how choppy it sounds.

A semicolon can also be used in the same way that a comma is when you join two independent clauses with a conjunction. The semicolon is very rarely employed in this way, as a comma almost always looks better and simpler.

The third way it can be used is to separate items in a list, where some of the items use a comma themselves. This avoids confusion for the reader.

The single dash (just call it the hyphen, and the double-dash the dash) functions only to join hyphenated words and to end a line in a word that continues on the next line, in a logical fashion, of course (that is, you would hyphenate "unfinished" "un-finished", not "unfi-nished"). Since we no longer use typewriters, this isn't really an issue anymore, unless you have poor planning skills when writing on paper.

The dash is used to indicate an abrupt stop in speech. "I was on my way to the sto-- What was that?!" I can't think of any other use off the top of my head.

and I recently came across where someone posted

"...today's..." in the possesive form. Now, wouldn't this be saying 'today is' and not 'belonging to today', or 'of today' as the word 'it's' is suggesting 'it is' and not 'belonging to it'? Hope you're still with me...

Since, as you say, it's in the possessive form, that would NOT be saying "today is". You choose a VERY poor example when you try to link this to "it's", since the possessive and contracted form of those words are a special exception to the apostrophe rule. "today's..." means "belonging to today" or "today is" depending on the context of the sentence (and, more importantly, the following word).

...and to your above statement, the (double quotes lol, are they allowed?)
""at symbol"" (@) can also be used to express two teams in a sports league playing at a certain field.

Double quotes are not allowed. If you must have nested quotes, alternate between double and single.

As for the at sign (and all the others), yes, they have other uses, but they aren't really worth mentioning.

P.S. the # sign is technically known as the octothorpe.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Vests]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I hate to break this to you, but you enjoy comma splicing. Though I understand why, since it is the most common gramatical error. However, why must you advocate that people need to use proper grammar in order to be intellegent? Some people are incredibly intellegent in real life, but they like slacking off while around the computer. Everyone makes issues in grammar and spelling it is, in itself inevitable.

I myself advocate that I'm decent at spelling and decent at grammar, however I know I get confused with ending of words, since they sound like they're spelt one way, but they would actually be spelled another way. So seriously, why do you do stuff like this? If people really wanted to learn they could simply go to school and learn it like they're supposed to. The net isn't a place for proper sentence structure, it is a place to most people to just chill and relax for the day.

[stretchypanda]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

There's an enormous difference between "just chilling" and brutally sodomizing the English language.

As far as I know, we're not too concerned with the former.

I'm pretty sure it's been said countless times in this thread, including in the first post, that we are not REQUIRING users to use perfect grammar and spelling. This thread exists as a reference, and many users have found it very, very helpful. It's ridiculous that you should ask why we advocate for appropriate grammar on the forums. It's pretty simple -- we don't like having to decipher what someone swears is English. One should not simply throw away all the knowledge one has on what it takes to form coherent sentences just because one is on the internet and one's teacher is not reading.

People judge you when you use bad grammar.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I hate to break this to you, but you enjoy comma splicing.

And you enjoy using pronouns without antecedents.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[WetMelon]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

No... NO! It's not POSSIBLE! So many bad grammar mistakes on one page! I couldn't read past Apostrophes. I looked at the examples at the link that you gave us, and simply had to quit reading; it scared me too much.

[SethSquall]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I think I owe this thread and this forum a lot of appreciation. I haven't come to this thread before for help or anything like that as I've never really needed much help but, the attitude towards grammar and spelling has helped me a lot. Before, I would forget how to spell words and put apostrophes in the wrong places, never bothering to correct my self. Now over time, my spelling and grammar has improved ten fold. I will admit I use spell check and the dictionary quite often but this is why I want to say thank you. Recently I've noticed that when spell checking I've been coming up with "spell check complete" with no spelling errors highlighted for me to change, unlike before when there would be many.

Many people complain about how this site is strict on spelling and grammar. It is this strictness however that has helped me become a better writer/poet/artist in real life as well as a better poster on this forum. So thank you. I know I'm far from being perfect in the spelling and grammar area but I still say thank you for the considerable amount progress I have made.

[Swoop]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

Up until now I have ignored these helpful but, harmless stickies/ threads. I will honestly say that I did not read every word of Squeeks novel on grammar but I read most of it. About 40% of what I read I did not know. So yeah, this sticky really helped me a whole lot! Thanks Squeek!!!.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

=\

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[UnitedStates@America]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I don't know if anyone told you this squeek, but when typing numbers the numbers from one to ten should be typed out how they're spelt. Numbers 11 and above may be typed out with numbers. But of course, the negative numbers work like that too. From numbers negative one to negative ten, you must spell out the number. Numbers from negative 11 and BELOW, you may type the number for it.

EXAMPLE:
3-Three
-5-Five
14-14
-25--25

[Squeek]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

You can and should on papers, but online, nobody really cares.

I know the rules, but I don't always follow them. Nor do I always condone them.

[EmilyGesner]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I can't believe I actually read all that. That's actually an accomplishment for me, since usually after I read 2 pages I get bored. But I learned proper grammar! Woo! Thanks! It was great.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

I can't believe I actually read all that. That's actually an accomplishment for me, since usually after I read 2 pages I get bored. But I learned proper grammar! Woo! Thanks! It was great.

Success!

I don't know if anyone told you this squeek, but when typing numbers the numbers from one to ten should be typed out how they're spelt. Numbers 11 and above may be typed out with numbers. But of course, the negative numbers work like that too. From numbers negative one to negative ten, you must spell out the number. Numbers from negative 11 and BELOW, you may type the number for it.

There's really no established limit after which you should start using the numerals. I've heard after ten, after twenty, after one hundred, after one thousand.

I've gotten really used to just typing out the words. Something about the numerals just doesn't sit right with me. Recently, I was filling out some form somewhere which required numerals for entry and I started typing the whole word out. I wish I could remember the context, but I laughed at myself.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[xXThe Legend Of ZeldaXx]

Re: Free grammar lessons!

tah iz 2 muhc infomration for me brainz
i amz smrat!